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Women's soccer trio earns ECAC honors

Whitney ChurchImage: GoPSUsports.com

Women's soccer trio earns ECAC honors

December 19, 2014

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State women's soccer head coach Erica Walsh was tabbed the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I Women's Soccer Coach of the Year and Whitney Church (Ashburn, Va.) earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, the conference announced today. Raquel Rodriguez (San Jose, Costa Rica) was also named to the ECAC Division I Women's Soccer All-Star first team alongside Church.

In her senior season, Church commanded one of the top defenses in the nation, which allowed more than one goal just twice and posted nine clean sheets. She was named an NSCAA All-America first team selection, a MAC Hermann Trophy Award semifinalist and was the Big Ten Defender of the Year.

Walsh, the Big Ten Coach of the Year, led the Blue and White to its 10th NCAA Tournament semifinalist appearance in program history. Penn State earned its third outright conference title in four years, maintaining a top-11 national ranking throughout the season and defeating five top-25 opponents.

Rodriguez earned a spot on the ECAC Division I Women's Soccer All-Star first team after she bagged NSCAA Scholar All-America second team honors the previous day. The 2014 Big Ten Midfielder of the Year and NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region first team pick netted a career-high seven goals and took 37 shots in 18 games played.

The Nittany Lions wrapped up the 2014 campaign in Penn State's 20th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance with the 10th Elite Eight match in program history at Texas A&M on Nov. 29. Putting up its seventh 20-win season, the Blue and White won its 16th conference title in 17 years, a record unmatched by any Division I program.